Granulating apparatus



J. B. MORGAN GRANULAT ING APPARATUS Jan. 3, 1939.

5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 1 1935 @y l: INVENToR BY I ATTORNEY` Jan. 3, 1939.- 'I L B. MORGAN 2,142.203

G RANULAT ING APPARATUS Filed July l, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORN EYS Jan. 3, 1939. J, 5, MQRGAN 2,142,203

GRANULATING APPARATUS Filed July l, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 I A'r'roRNEYs Jan. 3, 1939. L B, MORGAN v. l 2,142,203

GRANULATING APPARATUS Filed July l, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 zuge'. *Hllll 1| IIN! 5251 /slr 51 Sff n "ummm" s fui, lmp:

4 TTORNEYS Jan. 3, 1939. J. B. MORGAN GRANULATING APPARATUS' Filed July l, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 g INVENTOR lav i M 2 y ATTORNEYS 'lPatentediJ-an. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES' 2,142,203 GRANULATING APPARATUS Joseph' B. Morgan, Flushing, N. Y., assignor Jabez Burns & Sons, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application .any 1, 1935, serial No. 29,193

l Claim."

invention is an improvement upon the pendingapplications of Joseph L. Kopf and John C. Kopf Ser No. 713,794, filed March 3, 1934, now Patent No. 2,019,013, John C. Kopf Ser. No. 714,929, led

March 10, 1934,v now Patent No. 2,059,249 and John C. Kopf Ser. No. 733,219, led June 30, 1934.

One object of the present invention is to provide a machine which may be conveniently, rapidly, and accurately se't for a desired neness of y granulation and which will consistently produce and reproduce such granulations. Another object is to provide a machine wherein the coffee granules are brought into contact with the chaff particles and the coffee granules reduce these particles and coat them with oil so as to cause them to bev practically imperceptible in the nished product and so produce a product which will be of uniform character and color throughout.` Anotherpbject is to provide a machine which will present an attractive appearance and be durable and dependable under long continued use. Another object is to provide a machine wherein small batches of roasted coffee may be granulated and prepared and which will cause the machine to be completely and rapidly cleaned out at the end of each operation or action upon each batch. Another object is to provide an apparatus lwhich tends to insure-the purchaser obtaining the particular grind requested by the purchaser. Another object is to provide a visible indicator showing the grind for which the machine is set and for 'illuminating this'indicator at the moment the mill begins to operate so that -the purchasers attention is immediately attracted thereto, Another object is to provide an improved method and form of machine for treating the coffee granules and the chai particles in a simple and efficient. manner. Other objects and advantages of this invention willbe understood from the following description and accomo panying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention. I Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine, partly in section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on' the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken 55 on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; l

(Cl. Sii-.18)

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. yI;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the treating chamber and restricted outlet;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view partly in section of 5 the feed gate of the machine and showing its cooperating locking mechanism and Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a modification on a reduced scale and partly in section and showing thetop portion of the upper portion of the 10 machine moved to its open position.

The machine has a casing or frame I containing cooperating granulating elements 2 and 3 which in this instance are in the form of plates mounted horizontally within the frame I. These 15 plates are secured to carriers l and 5 respectively, by screws 6 and 1, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

The granulating plate 2 is rotated by a motor having its shaft 9 secured to plate carrier I by the key I0 and set-screw II, rotation being in 20 the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5. The motor may be ventilated by providing suitable openings I2 leading into the inside of frame I as shown in Figs. '1 and 2. The granulating plate 3 is stationary but is adjustable toward and away 25 from the plate 2 to vary the finens of the grind and to compensate for wear of the plates. The hollow shankof the plate carrier 5 is externally threaded at I3 to sleeve I4 which is rotatably mounted in a support I5 on top of the frame I. 30 The sleeve I4 carries an upper collar I6 which is secured thereto by set-screw I'I and a nut I8 which is threaded on the top of the sleeve Il and secured in place by a set-screw I9. The collar I6 carries a control member such as a lever 20 ex- 35 tending beyond the frame I. Movement of this lever to the right or left, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4 rotates the sleeve I4 and causes the plate 5to move toward or away from plate 2, cooperating lugs 2l on the plate carrier 5 and support 40 I5 preventing the plate carrier from rotating. The adjustment of vthis. mechanism to provide a plurality of dierent grinds and to compensate for plate wear, will hereinafter be more fully described.

Thesupport I5 with the entireplate adjusting Y mechanismy is secured to the frame I by suitable means, which in this form comprises a bayonet connection consisting of lugs 22 secured to the frame I, cooperating with slots 23and pads 2| on 50 the support I5. By grasping the handles 25 secured to the support I5 and rotating the same in a clockwise direction, the support I5 together with all the plate adjusting mechanism may be removed from the machine.

' Coffee, in the bean, is fed to the granulating vplates 2 and 3 through the hollow shank 26 of the carrier 5 from the nozzle 21 of the hopper 28.

- A gate!! having a slide 30 is interposed between Y transparent display sign 34 on one side, bearing is also utilized to illuminate a grind indicatorA any suitable legend which becomes prominently readable upon the lighting of the bulb 35 located in the rear of the transparency 34. The bulb 35 band 36 to make the same clearly visible through an'aperture 31 in the casing 3|. The band 36 is inclined inwardly so that the light 35 illuminates the same and reflects the light outwardly through the aperture 31 in such a way as to strikingly attract the attention of the customer to read the particular indication showing the grind for .which the machine is set. The size of the granules of nished coffee-produced by the machine depends upon the spacing of the granulating plates 2 and 3. As it is important that the size and proportion of the various granules' be fixed for any particular method of-brewing coffee as a beverage, it is also essential that when once established,

the machine shall be' capable of producing and reproducing such deflnite grinds. For this purpose depressions 38 are provided in the upper face of the frame such depressions being of predetermined circumferential spacing. Carried by the lever 28 is a yleldable nger member 38 having a downwardly projecting teat 40 to cooperate with the depressions 38. When adjusting the plates in the first instance, or'at any time thereafter to compensate for wear, the set-screw |1 is loosened and the collar I6 is rotated by lever 20 until the teat 48 of the nger member 39 drops into the zero depression 4| on the top of the frame as shown in Fig. 3. Nut I8 is then rotated until plates`2 and 3 just click, lever 20 still beingheld in the position with the teat of its finger member in the zero depression 4I. With`the parts in this position, set-screw |1 is tightened to the sleeve VI4. Thereafter, movement of the lever to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, causes separation of the granulating plates. Suitable graduation on a band 42, on the operators side of the machine, may be provided to indicate predetermined sizes of granulated coffee. 0n the opposite side of the machine, predetermined kinds of grinds. are printed `on the indicator band 36, as indicated in Fig. 3, which band moves' in conjunction with the lever 2l, the band being secured to aportion 43 extending from the collar 6.

Granulating elements 2 and 3 having been adjusted to'produce the desired fineness of the' product, coiee in the bean passes from the hopper 28 to the hollow shank 26 of the xed plate carrier 5 into the` bite of the breaker 44 and 45 where the beans are broken up into large pieces. The large pieces are then acted upon by the cracker teeth 46 and 41, the formation of a dead spot of coilee being prevented by iiights 48 on the rotating granulating plate.

Breaker teeth 44 and 45 and cracker teeth 46 and 41 are provided with lands at their cutting faces and from then on are rapidly backed oi to provide a maximum of space between successive sexies of such' teeth. The form of one of the granulating plates is well shown in Pig. 5. 'I'he result of this backing otlf and providing ot large spaces between successive series of teeth is that the large pieces of coffee which are produced by the breaker teeth together with the cracked coiee produced by the cracker teeth and the released cha'ff are co-mingled in the spaces before they can gain entrance into the inner series of finisher teeth 43 and 56.

After the coffee has passed through the iinisher'granulatng teeth, it is discharged into an annular cone-shaped chamber 5| formed in the upper part of the main frame I. 'Ihe chamber has an outer vnarrow peripheral portion 5| which has a restricted discharge outlet 52 leading to a spout 53. From this spout the nished product is discharged into any desired container which is conveniently supported on the shelf 11.

Attached to the rotating carrier 4 are a plurality of iliers or arms 54. These are preferably straight and of rectangular cross-section and located a small distance above the lower surface of the chamber 5|. 'Ihey also extend outwardly in to the reduced portion 5| of the chamber and quite near' to the outer periphery of the chamber,'as well shown in Fig.|6. As the granulated material is thrown outwardly from between the granulating plates, the particles strike the interior surfaces of the chamber 5| and are thrown about and come in contact with the intermingled chaiI thereby reducing it to some extent. Also the rotating iliers or arms come in contact with the material which is thereby directed and urged outwardly into a space which becomes more and more confined owing to its converging character.

During this action the coffee granules and chai! come more intimately into contact and the chaff is further reduced. 'I'he restricted discharge opening causes a bulk of thematerial to form in the chamber 5| and as the material 'is `i'orced outwardly by the fliers it nally enters the narrow portion of the chamber and by the rubbing and abrading action of the iliers and coffee granules against the chair by the iers passing through .the mass of material and moving a p0rtion of the mass relatively to other portions of the mass at the periphery .and the increased compactness and pressure of the material, the chai! is further reduced and lcoated with oil before it is able to pass through the restricted discharge opening. The mixing of the material and .the reduction of the chai! and the coating of the same with oil causes the nished product to have a uniform color and to be homogeneous throughout. Furthermore, on account of the converging shape of the chamber and the narrow peripheral passage, the fliers or arms will cause all of the material to pass out through the discharge opening, giving a complete discharge of the particular batch placed inthe 'hopper for treatment. 'I'hus this particular improvement not only accomplishes complete reduction of the chai! so that it is practically imperceptible in the ultimate product `but produces a homogeneous and uniform product with complete dicsharge .of the particular batch treated, in an eillcient and rapid manner.

The motor 8 is under control of a snap-switch I. toggle arm 53 auaos check this infomation with the particular grind shown in Figs. 3 and 4 as extending out from the switch box 58, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. On the arm 59 is mounted an upwardly extending projection or handle 60 which cooperates with a cam slot 6I formed in the slide 30 of the gate mechanism. In its normal position, the gate slide 30 closes `the aperture of the gate 29. The slide 30 is provided with an extension 63 which carries a nger piece 6l at its outer` extremity where it is accessible to the operator. Carried by the extension 63 is a pawl 65 pivotally mounted thereon at 66 and adapted to engage a notch 51 cut into the gate 29 to prevent the leading edge of the slide from becoming burred due to slamming.

A tension spring 68 urges the pawl 65 into engagement with the notch 61 both longitudinally and in a direction toward the gate 29. The pawl 65 is adapted to engage not only the notch 61 in the closed position of the gate but is also biased to engage a notch 61 in the gate 29 when in the open position. One end of the spring is anchored to the pawl and the other is anchored to an abutment 39 extending upwardly from an extension 53 from the gate 23. The switch within the casing 58 is opened and closed through cooperation of the handle 60 on the toggle arm 53 with the cam faces 10 and 1I formed on aside extension of the gate slide 30. The pawl 65 has formed thereon a downwardly projecting finger 12, as well shown in Fig. 7, which projects in the path of an abutment 13 formed on the collar i6. When the plates are in a non-grinding position and the operating lever is in the extreme left-hand position, as shown in Fig. 3, the edge 14 of the finger 12 adjoins the face 15 of the abutment 13. 'I'his locks the gate closed because the slide cannot then be pulled outwardly against the abutment 13. It also locks the starting switch in open position because until the gate slide 30 is released, the switch cannot be moved to closed position and is locked in the open position by the cam face 1l being against the lmob 60 of the switch toggle arm.

In operating the mill and assuming that ther lever 20 is in the neutral or non-grinding position 'and the gate. closed, as shown in Figs. 3 and '7, the coffee is dumped into the hopper 28l and the selector lever 20 is moved to the right and set in any desired grind position. 'Ihe movement of the lever 20 to any one of the grind positions, re-

leases the slide 30 by swinging the abutment 13 out of the path of the finger 12. The gate of the machine may then be opened by the operator pulling the finger piece S4 forwardly which permits the coffee to be fed to the granulating plates, the pawl 65 being automatically moved by spring into notch 61' to hold the slide 30 in open position. The forward movement of the slide 30 causes the cam face 1l! of the slide to move forward and engage the knob 6|! of the switch and throw it to switch closing position. This closes the circuit of the motor and starts the rotation of the plate 2 and of of the switch also passes current through the lamp 35v which is connected in parallel with the motor across the supply circuit. The lamp is thus turned on at the time the motor starts the grinding operation and illuminates the indicator band 3l so that the portion vthereof which is opposite the aperture 31 and which indicates the particular grind for which the machine is set, thereby attracts the attention ofand informs the customer of the particular grind for which the machine is set. The customer is thus enabled to the fliers 5l. The closing requested. p

The mill then operates to granulate the coffee which is fed to the teeth from the hopper and is then thrown4 outwardly into the converging chamber where the material is treated and discharged according to the method already described. After the batch of coffee treated has -been entirely discharged, the lever 20 is moved back to the neutral or non-operative position. This causes the side face of the abutment 13 to contact with the depending finger 12 and thereby forces the pawl 65 to swing out of the notch 51'. 'I'his permits the spring 68 to move the slide 30 to close the gate of the machine, the pawl 55 being thrown in to engage the notch 61 for stopping the slide in its closed position. In this closing action the finger 12 moves along the side face of the abutment 13 and into a position behind the face 15 of this abutment which again locks the 'gate against manual operation. During the closing movement of the slide, the motor switch is automatically thrown to open position by the cam face 1l engaging the' knob 60' which stops the motor and turns oi the light 35.

Thus the motor cannot be started, or the granulating operation begin, until the selector lever has been moved from the neutral position to a selected granulating position; and then only when the gate slide is moved to open position. Also in order to stop the motor and close the gate, the selector lever must first be moved to the neutral position, which movement causes the automatic stopping of the motor and closing of the gate.

The upper body 3l rests upon the base portion l and is held in place by gravity only and may be entirely lifted therefrom manually. The angle 'corner pieces 18 serve to guide and keep the hopper body in proper position relatively to the base I. In the modied form shown in Fig. 8, the hopper body is illustrated as being hinged at 13 tothe main base I.

Although a particular embodiment of this invention is described, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

I claim:

A machine for granulating and' treating coffee comprising cooperating grinding elements for granulating the coffee and freeing the chaff, a circularcasing. enclosing said grinding elements and extending outwardly beyond and below said elements to form an unobstructed conical chamber terminating in a narrow peripheral portion and provided with a flat bottom for receiving the granulated coffee and chaff from said elements. said chamber having a discharge opening at its periphery the circumferential extent of said opening beinga small aro of the periphery to form a restricted discharge opening for causing a mass of the granulated coffee and chaff to accumulate in the chamber, and a rotatable element located near the bottom of said chamber and having a radially extending narrow advancing face at its outer end at the periphery of the chamber and extending to said discharge opening, said face being of such low height as to pass through said mass and .engage only a portion of the mass for urging it outwardly toward and through said discharge opening for causing an abrading action against the chaff by relative movement of said portion of they mass against other portions of the mass to reduce the .chaff and render it substantially invisible in the nnished product.

JOSEPH B. MORGAN. 

